FC Vaduz 1 Longford 0: Alan Mathews is adamant that overturning the tie is still very much within the capabilities of his Longford Town players after Michele Polverino provided FC Vaduz with the most slender of leads to bring to Flancare Park for the return in a fortnight.
Half-time substitute Polverino struck for the only goal in the 73rd minute of an evenly balanced game at the Rheinpark Stadion in Liechtenstein.
The ball broke kindly off Longford striker Eric Lavine for Martin Telser who laid it off for Polverino. The 19-year-old was given too much time and space, and his low shot from the edge of the area took a slight deflection off Stephen Paisley to beat Stephen O'Brien and enter the net off the butt of a post.
"While we're naturally disappointed with the result, I was happy with the performance and the tie is still very much alive with it all to play for in the return," said Mathews who was livid with the display of overweight Georgian referee Merab Malagouradze, who booked four Longford players, including O'Brien for time-wasting.
"You look at his physical condition, his cardio-vascular capacity and I feel some questions need to be asked as to how he could be appointed for this game," said Mathews. "There were a lot of things he wasn't fair on for both sides. The four booking would not have been received in Ireland."
Longford failed to make anything in front of goal from some good spells of possession in an encouraging first-half display.
The over-zealous Malagouradze was a frustration Longford were slow in dealing with as Alan Murphy and Eric Lavine, booked for dubious fouls inside the opening 10 minutes, were joined by Vinny Perth before the break.
With their shape and concentration good, Longford carved out a couple of half-chances that came to nothing. Perth and Lavine combined to get Seán Prunty free down the left midway through the half. His low delivery was nowhere near getting the required touch.
Dean Fitzgerald had Longford's other effort on goal before the interval, skying his volley high and wide after Marco Perez headed Longford's only corner of the first half straight to him.
Vaduz started edgily but came more into the game as the half wore on. Their captain, Martin Stocklasa, who was also booked, headed wide from Marius Zarn's cross before an error by Perth presented Vaduz with the first shot on target on 41 minutes.
The Longford midfielder misjudged a low cross from Franz Burgmeier and O'Brien had to get down well and hold a crisply-struck drive from Perez.
O'Brien was alert to a weak back pass from his captain Barry Ferguson to hack clear from the feet of the in-rushing Beni Fischer in stoppage time.
Vaduz enjoyed their best spell of possession of the game in the third quarter. Stocklasa scuffed a shot wide after a mistake by Paisley on 56 minutes before Thomas Weller shot into the side netting, again following an error by Paisley.
Longford came back into it and chances fell to Prunty, who volleyed over from Perth's punt of a pass; Dean Fitzgerald, who headed wide at the back post, and Shane Barrett, who shot narrowly over the top after turning well to make the opening.
A minute after Barrett's miss, Vaduz got the break they craved and Polverino, on loan from Fiorentina, gave them something to cling to for their visit to Mullollogher.
FC VADUZ: Silva; Telser, Hasler, Gohouri, Burgmeier, Zarn, Stocklasa, Perez (Polverino, half-time), Weller (Bismark, 64 mins), Fischer (Gerster, 81 mins), Dos Santos.
LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien; Murphy, Ferguson, Paisley, Dillon, Kirby, Keogh (Fitzgerald, 28 mins), Perth (Martin, 79 mins), Prunty; Lavine, Barrett (Baker, 85 mins).
Referee: M Malagouradze (Georgia).
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